Awning.



No. 727,712. PATENTED MAYlz, 190s.

P. THoMs;

AWNING. APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 1, 1902.

N0 MODEL. Z SHEETS-SHEET 41.

Iulidulul ,I Illl,

No. 727,712.. PATENTBD MAY 12, 19113. P. THOMS; I

1.7711111111. y APPLIUATION FILED DEO. 1. 1902.

. lll! .4T 2 O Nw A/2 .f 6, MINI-.- 9 w @d w y Y .W w l f NITED Sizfrns vPATEIWF Patented May 12, 1903.

FFICE.

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SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 727,712, dated May 12, 1903.

Appntationvned meenten, A1902; seria No. 133,476. (No naam To all whom, it 71mg/ concern: Be it known that I, FRIEDERICH THoMs, a citizenl of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Awnings, of which the following is a specification.

Myinveution relates to awnings,and more particularly to an improved manner ofadjusting and moving such awnings and of holding them in position.

The object of my invention is to do aw" y with the present slow, cumbrous, and inconvenient manner of handling these devices by substituting therefor a construction which will enable the awning-support to be Withdrawn into the building or other structure to which itis attached.

My invention can be embodied in a number of different ways. I have shown, however, in the accompanying drawings and have herein described one practical manner of embodying and operating it.

In the drawings, Figure l represents my device as applied to an ordinary storefront, the wall of the building being shown in vertical section and the awning in position for use. Fig. 2 is a frontele'vation of the same construction. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the upper part of Fig.A 1 with the awning-frame shown as retracted. Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the gearing and winding-shaft with one side of the awning-frame shown in cross!- section. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section of the awning-frame and guides.

In the drawings, 1 represents the front wall of a building, and 2 2 are columns forming part of the structure. It will of course'be understood that the awnings can be applied to windows at any part of the building with the same facility as illustrated in the drawings, where a sidewalk-awning is supposed to be shown. Journaled at any suitable point upon thel structure of the building is a vertical shaft 3, having a bevel-gear 4. at the top 'and a similar gear L45 Yat the bottom. The

shaft is turned by a suitable crank 6, engaging a shaft 7, having a-bevelgear 8, this part of the construction being preferably concealed by a box or casing and the crank being detachable. The gear 4 at the upper end of shaft 3 engages with a pinion 10. This -or brackets 13 at both ends.

lof-the two frames 16. the fabric of the awning is carried back and pinion is fixed upon the end of a short shaft v 9, carrying a spur-pinion 11. The shaft 9is secured to the hollow winding-sleeve 12,which extends across horizontallyabove the doorway or window and is journaled in bearings formed -in the front wall of the building above the door or window, as the case may be, and through these openings the awning-frame is movable and adjustable. The frame is shown as consisting of two channel-bars 16, each of which is provided on its lower surface with a rack 17. These racks engage the spur-pinions on the winding-shaft in the manner illus- Details of -this construction are shown in Fig.

Y5, from which,in` connection with Fig. 3, they will be easily understood.

The awning 21 is secured along one edge to across-bar 22,5which connects the outer ends From this cross-bar connected to the sleeve l2, independently of the' bars 16. It is evident now that when the gearedjshafts are operated by the crank the sleeve 12 will be turned in one direction or the other, as the case may be, and the awning-frames will be moved either inwardly or outwardly, according to the direction in `which-the crank isA turned. As the awning is connected to 'the sleeve 12, the effect of turning the latter will be either to wind the awning upon such sleeve or to unwind it therefrom, while at the same time the awning frame is being independent-ly moved either in or out. l I

Taking Fig. 1, for instance, it is evident that if the gearing be'revolved in such a direction as to retract the awning-frame within the building such frames will move from the position of Fig. 1 to the positionV `of Fig. 3, and the awning will be wound smoothly-upon the shaft 12 throughout its whole extent. If the gearing be turned in the other direction, the awning-frame will be moved outwardly,

Openings 15 are and will smoothly and easily unwind the awning from the shaft upon which it is wound. As the said winding-shaft controls both the movement of the awning-frame and the winding and unwinding of the awning, the latter will never be either too slack or too taut.

The brace (shown in Fig. 1) is not essential to the operation of the invention, but is placed there simply to indicate that such a supplementary support may be employed when desired. Such brace will only be used while the awning is in its extended position and will be removed when it is retracted.

The advantages of my device over the present awkward and cumbersome way of handling awnings will he apparent to those skilled in the art. The device is simple and cheap in construction, easily employed, dispenses with the clumsy awning-posts now used for sidewalk-awnings, and is easily and conveniently operated.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein described and shown, as I desire to avail myself of all modifications and equivalent forms which will properly come within the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

verf/12 1. In combination a shaft extending longitudinally along the front of the building, bearings therefor, a vertical shaft, gearing between the horizontal and vertical shafts, means for driving the vertical shaft, a pair of bars having racks thereon= an awning secured to the said bars, gear-wheels on the horizontal shaft meshing with the said racks, said bars passing through openings in the building and guides on the inner sides of the wall of the building for the said bars, substantially as described.

2. In combination a vertical shaft 3, a short shaft 9 extending horizontally, gearing between the horizontal and vertical shafts, a hollow shaft 12 secured to the short shaft, a pair of bars extending through the wall of the building and having racks, gearing between the said racks and the horizontal-shaft members and an awning secured to the bars and to the hollow shaft, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 2d day of November, 1902.

FRIEDERICH THOMS.

Witnesses:

L. W. SEELY, F. M. BURT. 

